


Name That Story

by chuseoks



Category: EXO
Genre: M/M, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-22
Updated: 2015-05-22
Packaged: 2018-03-31 17:51:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3987286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chuseoks/pseuds/chuseoks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I fall, I rise, I make mistakes. I live and I learn."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Name That Story

Mutual respect sends his regret. Junmyeon is a hundred percent sure that he has been done even before Jongdae was born. “Dae, get off my bed,” Junmyeon sighs, keeping his hands locked on his tummy lest he does something mean – like pull out Jongdae’s teeth or crot- 

  
“ _-oUCH, what the fuc- Junmyeon hyung, get him off me!!!_ ”  
  
Junmyeon rolls his eyes. He pulls on Minseok’s sweater. “Don’t suffocate my baby brother, Kim Minseok,” he says, without bite. “I think my mom still wants him alive?”  
  
Minseok laughs, his cheeks bunching up like little fluffy cotton balls. Junmyeon hope there aren’t hearts written all over his eyes. Minseok fits himself into Junmyeon’s side as Jongdae rolls over his bed and sends him a glare. “You heard your big brother, get off,” Minseok laughs. He’s so bright when he’s pulling silly pranks.  
  
“Are you guys going to have sex?” Jongdae prods, kicking at Minseok’s legs lightly. Junmyeon’s face is a tomato.  
  
“Okay, good _bye_ ,” Junmyeon huffs, pulling on Jongdae’s arms and dragging him out the door. He gives Jongdae a look and repeats for the millionth time, “don’t ransack my room again, Jongdae.”  
  
Jongdae winks, already skipping over to Jongin’s room. “I got you dinner, dummy,” Junmyeon scolds before Jongdae can think of bothering their younger brother. It took Minseok a half hour to calm Jongin down and put him to bed. Minseok passes him a paper bag before disappearing into Junmyeon’s washroom, probably to brush his teeth before dinner. “Go eat in your room quietly. Mom’s going to be home before ni-  _Jongdae_ , I will castrate you if you wake Jongin up.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah,” Jongdae waves off, grabbing the paper bag from Junmyeon’s hand and slamming the door to his room shut.  
  
“Your brother left?” Minseok asks. He’ll need to check up on Jongin later on but Junmyeon slams his door shut and locks it to keep Jongdae out for now.  
  
“Yeah, he’ll probably keep on playing that new computer game kids play these days. Our mom’s going to choke him if he fails finals,” Junmyeon grumbles. He stacks the books on his desk and pushes them aside. “You done washing up? Let’s eat.”  
  
Minseok comes from behind him, arms on either side of his shoulders. “He’s not going to fail, Junmyeon,” Minseok laughs lightly, rubbing at Junmyeon’s neck. “Go change your clothes first. I’ll take out the food.”  
  
Junmyeon knows Minseok is staring at the mess he already managed to create by splashing around their food container. “I’ll clean th-”  
  
“Ah, ah. Change your clothes, I’ll do it, silly,” Minseok cuts him off, poking at his cheeks.   
  
Once Junmyeon has stripped down to a t-shirt and sweatpants, he joins Minseok at his desk. There’s newspaper laid under their Chinese take out and tissues under their utensils. Junmyeon’s room will be a huge mess if not for Minseok. The clothes on the floor are already separated into his laundry basket and folded neatly on the bed. Junmyeon makes a noise at the back of his throat, grumbling. “You didn’t have to clean for me,” he says, taking the folded clothes and cramming them into his closet.  
  
Minseok shrugs. “If you hate it, I’ll stop,” he replies. It’s a conversation they had over a million times. Junmyeon does not really mind. He only minds that Minseok might mind. (But Minseok’s weird too. He’s sticking well beside Junmyeon.)  
  
“Hey boyfriend,” Minseok teases. “Are we going to eat or are you going to keep standing there to stare at me?”  
  
Junmyeon slaps the back of Minseok’s shoulder playfully. He’s always red around Minseok. He needs to be used to always feeling like a baked apple.  
  
He pulls open the lid for their chicken soup, splashing some onto the newspaper. Minseok starts on their fried rice, scooping up some and poking Junmyeon’s lips with his spoon until Junmyeon eats it. “Eat, I can eat by myself,” Junmyeon scolds. Minseok smiles at him, shoving rice into his tiny mouth.   
  
Minseok scoots closer as Junmyeon takes a seat, left hand resting on Junmyeon’s thigh. Junmyeon has Minseok around so much that his mother is more surprised when she doesn’t see him around. They grew up together, as neighbors until Minseok and his family had to move to Beijing for his dad’s job.  
  
Minseok has moved back to Seoul alone last year for university, taller (as tall as they both can grow), arms fuller and tighter, handsome and more charming. He’s been the one that recognized Junmyeon first.   
  
Junmyeon now invites him home often because he’s living alone and Junmyeon does not want him to be lonely.   
(It’s an excuse he used for a year before he bumbled through a really embarrassing confession of wanting Minseok beside him all his life,  _and I want to keep your smile in a jar and this is really weird but--_  until Minseok kissed him quiet, laughter breathy on Junmyeon’s lips.)  
  
“Baby?” Minseok whispers, knowing it’ll earn him a pretty blush from Junmyeon. “You okay? You’re not eating well tonight.”  
  
Minseok is ridiculous. Junmyeon stares at the bit of rice sticking at the corner of Minseok’s lips, and he thinks about how absurd Minseok is; how there can be such trivial things he cares and dwells about and things he doesn’t bother about.   
  
Minseok’s lips are pink. And inviting. Junmyeon had to give his brain a mental command to  _back off_  before he could tear his eyes away from them and meet Minseok’s eyes.   
  
He had kind of wanted reason in them, had expected Minseok to always be the wise one between them so he knows that his really weird infatuation will at least go away some day, leaving only a reasonable amount of love, but Minseok’s eyes freezes him and throws him off kilter.  _Want_. Junmyeon’s pretty sure his eyes fills with them, he hadn’t expected to see them in Minseok’s.  
  
 “Can I kiss you?”  
  
Jongdae’s still wide awake, probably playing games outside and Jongin’s sleeping. But,  _oh_ , sure.  
  
It’s unfair that Minseok’s  _always_  doing this to him; always pulling the boards off his feet and making him confuse.  _Yes_ ,  _yes, yes_. Junmyeon barely even trust himself when he’s conscious, what more drunk on his attraction for his boyfriend. He nods vigorously and gulps when he realizes how stupid he must’ve looked.  
  
But Minseok’s not teasing him and  _“Oh wow, you’re close_.”  
  
Minseok laughs breathily, and his breath fans over Junmyeon’s face, their lips slightly touching at the movement. Whatever sanity Junmyeon had in him vanishes. He tries to say something,  _anything_  to regain footing but Minseok mouth is on him, sucking on his bottom lips softly. Junmyeon gasps into his mouth, body turning, and fitting himself into Minseok’s.   
  
Minseok’s lips on him grow in confidence once he was sure Junmyeon wasn’t going to push him away, and he starts kissing Junmyeon at the corner of his mouth, slowly moving and sucking Junmyeon’s lower lips before Junmyeon felt his tongue gliding over his teeth, asking for entrance. Junmyeon grabs at Minseok’s arm as he shoves his tongue into Junmyeon’s ready mouth.  
  
Junmyeon’s eyelids flutter, tugging on Minseok’s sweaty sweater before inviting himself onto Minseok’s laps. Minseok grunts as Junmyeon plops on him, firm hands steadying Junmyeon by the waist.  
  
“We aren’t eating anymore?” Minseok laughs sloppily into Junmyeon’s mouth.  
  
Junmyeon pushes at his shoulders but pulls him back in, sucking Minseok’s upper lips softly. “Been wanting to do that,” he breathes.   
  
Minseok cups his face, pulling him away gently and forcing Junmyeon’s eyes on him. “You stare a lot,” he whispers. Their faces are so close that their lips brush. Minseok gives him a soft peck. “You know you can always ask, right?”  
  
Junmyeon’s face is all red, but it means little to him now because Minseok’s all red too and he has his arms full of Junmyeon and he’s saying that Junmyeon means as much to him as he does to Junmyeon and-  
  
“Oh,” Minseok huffs as Junmyeon buries his face into his neck, hands around him.   
  
“I like you a lot,” Junmyeon whispers.   
  
“I know. I like you a lot too,” Minseok says. Junmyeon lifts his head and stares at Minseok, blinking. He sounds weird. “I like you a lot, and right now your thighs are really warm around me and your brothers are outside and your mom’s going to be back home soon, so-”  
  
“Oh!” Junmyeon slides off Minseok hastily.  
  
“Cute,” Minseok whispers, kissing his forehead as he stands up. “I’ll take care of it in your bathroom. Eat. I’ll be back.”  
  
Junmyeon stares. Minseok’s pants are really tight and-  
  
“I-I…can help you?”  
  
Minseok smiles at him. “Next time, come home with me, and I’ll let you help,” he promises and promptly shuts the door.  
  
Junmyeon’s problem is already building up at Minseok’s promise. He thinks of Jongdae’s weird face in the morning. It helps.  
  
Junmyeon’s mother hires a baby sitter for Jongin two months before finals and allows Junmyeon to move in with Minseok because his officetel is nearer to school. She smiles at Junmyeon as he leaves and he thinks she understands.  
  
Everything in Minseok’s officetel is white. His walls are white and his cupboards are white and his books neatly arranged from the biggest to the smallest and Junmyeon is  _afraid_. “I won’t like you any less even if you mess up my house,” Minseok laughs at Junmyeon’s face and kisses his cheek. “Come in, it’s not like it’s your first time over.”  
  
Junmyeon’s GPA has been dropping steadily since mid-terms and he’s glad that he could free himself from baby-sitting duties no matter how much he loves Jongin. Minseok smiles at him as he starts unpacking his books. “I freed the study table. There’s ramyeon in the cupboard and leftovers in my fridge. I’ll see you after work,” Minseok promises.   
  
Minseok, Junmyeon knows has been keeping his GPA steady even while he balances work and school together. He works at Caffè Pascucci two blocks down from where he lives three times a week, attends dance classes on weekends, has gym sessions every Tuesdays and Fridays and still manages to do better than Junmyeon.   
  
Minseok pokes at his cheeks. “Too much thinking in there,” he scolds. Junmyeon’s wearing too much of his heart on his sleeves. He bobs nose with Minseok. “Go, I’ll be up when you’re home.”  
  
Junmyeon tries (and promptly fails) to be as tidy as possible as he put his ramyeon water to a boil. He spills the soup when they’re done from too much moving about. Minseok’s eating table is just a small table on the floor by the fridge.   
  
Junmyeon settles his food on the table before snapping a picture of the mess he tried to clean up. He Kakaos them over to Minseok.   
__  
Tried my best. Sorry _);_  
  
They’ve never fought; not once even though they’re complete opposites. Their first fight only comes because Junmyeon is stupid and he’s stressed because Minseok has come home from all his papers looking like he’ll ace them all easily even though he took them from lack of sleep due to all the shifts he’s been given. Junmyeon has come back feeling like he’ll get Bs at best.  
  
Minseok’s laptop is perched on his ( _ours,_ he threatened Junmyeon with his plastic spoon one night when he’s growing another head from all the stress) bed as he’s unpacking their dinner. Junmyeon’s books are all over the study table.   
  
A Skype video call comes in. It’s the ex-boyfriend Minseok dated for over five years in Beijing. Luhan. Junmyeon knows Minseok says they’re just best friends now but Minseok’s Instagram feed from years back is still there because Junmyeon insisted that they’re memories for Minseok and he doesn’t have to delete them just because of Junmyeon. Luhan looked like he’s the perfect match for Minseok beside Junmyeon who has never worked through his twenty one years of life and is always making messes that Minseok has to clean up and-  
  
“Luhan’s calling,” Junmyeon says through gritted teeth. Minseok turns to him, eyebrows raised.  
  
Junmyeon takes over Minseok at unpacking as he presses answer on the call. “Xiumin!”   
  
Junmyeon cringes. Luhan starts speaking Chinese at full speed and Junmyeon wished he had taken his Chinese lessons seriously as a kid but he’s completely lost as Minseok answers in equally fast Chinese with that airy, bright voice of his.  
  
Minseok cuts their conversation short as Junmyeon starts pouring iced water into their cups. “Say bye, Luhan!” he says, moving away from the camera to show Junmyeon. Luhan’s Korean is great too. Junmyeon knows he’s captain of the National Chinese football team too. It has never bothered Junmyeon before but tonight he’s grumpy and tomorrow he has his final paper that he is three hundred percent sure he’ll fail.  
  
“Bye, Junmyeon! Take care of Minseok! I’ll call again~”  
  
“I know how to take care of my boyfriend,” Junmyeon replies, because he’s stupid. Luhan blinks. Minseok gives him a look and says something in Chinese to Luhan before he hangs up.  
  
He’s still not saying anything to Junmyeon. He has never gotten angry at Junmyeon before and it irritates Junmyeon now because Junmyeon is not perfect and he has never called Junmyeon out on it and it might mean that Minseok’s only telling Luhan these things and it’s  _not fair_.  
  
“Why is he still calling you?”   
  
“He’s my bestfriend,” Minseok replies, pulling Junmyeon down to the dinner table. Six times Junmyeon has asked, six times Minseok has answered the same way and he has never asked gotten mad at Junmyeon’s accusatory tone.  
  
“I’m not eating anymore,” Junmyeon says, pulling his hand away from Minseok and standing up. “I have an exam to study for.”  
  
Minseok sighs and stands. He pulls Junmyeon and forces him to look into his eyes. “Okay, what’s wrong with you?” he says. “I know you’re stressed about your paper but if you’re going to be rude to me, I’m going to need you to explain why.”  
  
“He’s always calling you,” Junmyeon says, pointing to the laptop. “Every Sunday at eight and he texts you pictures while he’s training.”  
  
Minseok blinks. “Try again,” he shakes his head.   
  
“Let me go,” Junmyeon sighs, pulling his hand away. “I know you don’t have to try as hard but  _I_ have to study.”  
  
Minseok’s hand tightens around his wrist. “You’re rude,” he says. “You’re going to stay here and  _tell_  me why you’re rude.”  
  
“Oh  _now_  you’re concerned?” Junmyeon asks, frustrated tears at the corner of his eyes.  _Unwarranted. Unwarranted._  
  
“Junmyeon,” Minseok mutters. He sounds confused. Junmyeon is confused too. He doesn’t know why he’s doing this. “What is it?”  
  
“I’m always making a mess,” Junmyeon says, and it all tumbles out of him now that Minseok’s prodding. “My clothes are always on the floor, on your chair and on your bed. You’re just folding them and putting them away. I always drop food all over your house when I’m eating and you’re just wiping them and you kiss my cheeks after. You stay up all night even though you have morning shifts and school in the afternoon just because I refuse to go to bed. I’m  _such_  a kid and messing up your life and you just say  _it’s okay_  and you move on.”  
  
“You’re mad because I’m not mad at you?” Minseok asks.  
  
“See?” Junmyeon groans. “You’re not even raising your voice a little when I’m treating you like this.”  
  
Minseok pulls him closer, hands on both sides of Junmyeon’s face. “You think I’m just saying  _I don’t mind_ ,  _I don’t mind_  to appease you?” he says, voice steady. “I say I don’t mind that you’re making a mess, because _I don’t mind_. When I don’t get angry over you leaving your clothes all over my house, it’s because  _I’m not angry_. Why can’t you take my words at face value? I’m not  _good_  at talking, you know that. But I don’t say things for the sake of saying it. And I stay up all night because I don’t spend enough time with you lately and  _I’m_ afraid you’ll think I’m not good enough for you. Jesus, Junmyeon. You’ve got it all. Wealth, face, body, grades; even when you unnecessarily worry too much over them. I’m  _just_  me without the wealth, the face, the body and despite you always thinking I don’t have to study for my grades, I break my head over them too.”  
  
It’s the first time Minseok has said so much to him and Junmyeon knows it’s hard for him. Junmyeon stares at Minseok’s notes on the bed, all color coded and stapled accordingly. He brings them around all the time.   
  
It scares Junmyeon a lot to see tears at the corner of Minseok’s eyes. They’re stubborn but  _there_  and it’s the first time Junmyeon has ever seen him closed to tears. Junmyeon being stupid should not warrant them at all.  
  
He pushes Minseok’s hands on his face away. Minseok looks ready to be yelled at for no reason. It’s not what Junmyeon was going for so he grabs at Minseok’s arms and pulls him in, burying his face into Minseok’s neck. “Don’t cry,” he pleads. “I’m sorry, I was stupid. It’s all stupid. I was so stressed over finals and I know you have your eyes set on that managerial position in your café after graduation but  _I_  still don’t know what I want to do and I’m afraid I’ll be such a disappointment to be called your boyfriend and I’m always so afraid that you’ll realize that Luhan’s really a better match for you once you realize that I’m really nothing if you take away my golden spoon.”  
  
“Junmyeon, you’re barely in your twenties,” Minseok whispers. “You have lots of time to figure out what you want to do and I’ll be right by you. We’re going to need to work on your trust with me, but if Luhan is whom you’re afraid of, it’s silly-  _listen to me_. He has he eyes on his manager right now and he’s been blowing my ears off because of this.”  
  
Minseok pulls him away and fishes out his mobile phone. He scrolls through his Kakao chat with Luhan and clicks on the picture of a girl with a snapback on backwards. “She looks like she’s fifteen but he promised she’s twenty four,” Minseok says, a hint of smile on his face. Junmyeon thinks it’s ridiculous that Minseok has to prove this to him.  
  
He finds Minseok’s eyes and leans in to kiss him. “I’m sorry,” he presses his lips on Minseok, hands on Minseok’s waist. “While we work on my trust, let’s work on your self esteem. Minseok, you’re  _handsome_. I still have to command my brain to work when you look at me. Your body’s great and I’m always so  _frustrated_  that you don’t like to wear shirts after your showers and you’re still not making good of your promise to help you out when I’m over at your house. I’ve been here for more than a month now. You work, dance, work out and still get good grades. I  _respect_  you for doing what I’m still unable to do. It means little that you’re not wealthy.”  
  
Minseok looks like the baked apple now; all red and cute. “I’m sorry I was rude,” Junmyeon repeats.   
  
“No,” Minseok smiles, letting Junmyeon wipe at the corner of his eyes. He’s tearing up again but Junmyeon knows it’s not because he’s sad. It’s still not something Junmyeon likes to see, but it’s okay. “I’m glad we had this talk. I’m sorry too if me not being good at words was what brought this. Next time though, I’d rather you talk to me than do this, okay?”  
  
Junmyeon hums and allows Minseok to kiss his cheeks. (Minseok’s always babying his cheeks and Junmyeon knows he thinks they’re cute but Minseok’s cheeks are even fluffier.)   
  
“Let’s eat,” Minseok says. “Then you can go back to your books. I still have to read my notes too.”  
  
Minseok’s eyes are still red, but tomorrow, Junmyeon will still wake up with his head pillowed on Minseok’s arms and face buried in Minseok’s chest. Tomorrow, Junmyeon will sit for his paper and wills himself to believe that he’ll pass. Tomorrow, Minseok will be done with his final paper too and will rush over for his shift and tomorrow, Junmyeon will still be waiting for him at home.  
  
Tomorrow, he knows he’ll be as happy. In the future, he doesn’t know what will happen, but with Minseok slowly teaching him that he’ll always be beside Junmyeon through it all, Junmyeon knows it’ll be okay. Junmyeon likes it best that he has Minseok by his side for that and likes that while Minseok sees him grow, he’ll be able to see Minseok grow too.  
  
Junmyeon used to think that it’s scary to only be able to see his tomorrows and not into the future but Minseok’s slowly showing him that  _it’s okay_  to take one day at a time, he knows he’s struck gold.

**Author's Note:**

> This was really rushed and I'm sorry, I know the fight was really sudden and out of nowhere but I just really wanted to put something out for Junmyeon's birthday. Happy Birthday, my love!


End file.
